North Korea fires two MORE missiles towards Japan with ’emergency alert’ issued as tensions boil over

NORTH Korea has fired another couple of short-range ballistic missiles towards Japan, South Korean authorities have said. It’s the latest in a recent barrage of weapons tests carried out by the communist regime and comes a day after the North warned the redeployment of a US aircraft carrier near the Korean Peninsula was inflaming regional tensions. APNorth Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-un has launched two more ballistic missiles towards Japan[/caption] APOne of the rockets fired on October 4, which was shown on TV in Seoul, South Korea[/caption] South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that it detected two missile launches on Sunday between 1.48am and 1.58am from the North’s eastern coastal city of Munchon. It added that South Korea’s military has boosted its surveillance posture and maintains a readiness in close coordination with the United States. In response to the launches, the office of the Japanese Prime Minister issued an “emergency alert,” warning its citizens to “take all possible measures for precaution, including readiness for contingencies.” Japanese Vice Defence Minister Toshiro Ino also confirmed the launches, saying the North’s testing activities are absolutely unacceptable as they threaten regional and international peace and security. Read More on North Korea ROCKET GAMES North Korea fires another 2 ballistic missiles towards Japan as tensions soar WATCHING KIM? US carrier races to N.Korea after biggest missile launch that can hit US base Ino said the weapons could be submarine-launched ballistic missiles. “We are continuing to analyse details of the missiles, including a possibility that they might have been launched from the sea,” Ino said. It is the 25th missile launch by North Korea this year, according to Japan’s Ministry of Defence. North Korea’s pursuit of an ability to fire missiles from a submarine would constitute an alarming development for its rivals because it’s harder to detect such launches in advance. Most read in The Sun DOUGH WAY! Masked Dancer fans astonished as Candlestick revealed to be Bake Off star WHO ARE YA? People are only just realising Maguire's real name and some find it hilarious BRIDGE TOO FAR Putin's prized bridge left collapsed wreck after 'strike by special forces' HEAT ME UP Major energy supplier giving out free electric blankets this winter 'I AM IN TEARS' Googlebox fans in tears as they watch scene of mother delivering a baby HOT STUFF I’ve lived with no heating for years, here are my tips for staying warm North Korea was believed to have last tested a missile launch from a submarine in May. Ino said both missiles launched on Sunday flew about 217 miles at a maximum attitude of 60 miles before they fell into the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida separately instructed officials to gather and analyse all information they could and expedite any updates about the tests to the public. His office said it also was seeking to ensure the safety of all aircraft and ships in waters around Japan while preparing for any contingencies. The US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that the launches didn’t pose any immediate threat to US personnel or territory, or to its allies. But it said the launches highlight the destabilising impact of North Korea’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programmes. It said the US commitments to the defence of South Korea and Japan remain ironclad. The launch, the North’s seventh round of weapons tests in two weeks, came hours after the US and South Korea wrapped up a new round of two-day naval drills off the Korean Peninsulas east coast. The drills involved the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its battle group, which returned to the area after North Korea fired a powerful missile over Japan last week to protest the carrier groups previous training with South Korea. On Saturday, North Korea’s Defence Ministry warned that the Reagan’s redeployment was causing a considerably huge negative splash in regional security. The North’s Defence Ministry called its recent missile tests a righteous reaction to intimidating military drills between South Korea and the US. North Korea regards US-South Korean military exercises as an invasion rehearsal and is especially sensitive if such drills involve US strategic assets such as an aircraft carrier. North Korea has argued it was forced to pursue a nuclear weapons programme to cope with US nuclear threats. US and South Korean officials have repeatedly said they have no intentions of attacking the North. North Korea’s latest launches added to its record-breaking pace of weapons tests this year. The recent weapons tests included a nuclear-capable missile that flew over Japan for the first time in five years. It was estimated to have travelled about 2,800-2,860 miles, a distance sufficient to reach the US Pacific territory of Guam and beyond. Sunday’s launches came on the eve of the 77th foundation anniversary of the North Korean ruling Workers Party. Earlier this year, North Korea tested other nuclear-capable ballistic missiles that place the US mainland and its allies South Korea and Japan within striking distance. North Korea’s testing spree indicates its leader, Kim Jong-un, has no intention of resuming diplomacy with the US and wants to focus on expanding his weapons arsenal. Read More on The Sun THAT'S A WRAP Two Quality Street sweets don’t have new paper wrappers after change NO KIDDING I left the hospital with my newborn only to find out I'm pregnant again But some experts say Kim would eventually aim to use his advanced nuclear programme to wrest greater outside concessions, such as the recognition of North Korea as a legitimate nuclear state, which Kim thinks is essential in getting crippling UN sanctions on his country lifted. South Korean officials recently said North Korea was also prepared to test a new liquid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile and a submarine-launched ballistic missile while maintaining readiness to perform its first underground nuclear test since 2017. AFPNorth Korea increased tensions in the region with a barrage of missile launches, including two which were fired on October 1[/caption]